The present invention relates to showerheads. More particularly, the present invention relates to handheld showerheads producing a plurality of spray patterns and control mechanisms for the control of such spray patterns.
Spray heads are commercially available in numerous designs and configurations for use in showers, faucets, spas, sprinklers and other personal and industrial systems. The vast majority of spray heads may be categorized as being either stationary or oscillating and have either fixed or adjustable openings. Stationary spray heads with fixed jets are the simplest constructions consisting essentially of a central conduit connected to one or more spray jets directed to produce a constant pattern. The stationary spray showerheads cause water to flow through the construction to contact essentially the same points on a user's body in a repetitive fashion.
Multifunction showerheads are able to deliver water in any of many different spray patterns such as a fine spray, a coarse spray, a pulsating spray, or even a flood pattern providing high fluid flow but decreased velocity. Of course, many other spray patterns may also be provided.
A conventional multifunction showerhead generally requires the user to turn a selector ring or dial on the showerhead faceplate in order to select a desired function. Another approach is to provide a faceplate with several spray jets located in concentric circular patterns. An internal controller, such as controlled by buttons or the like, may be operated to direct the incoming water to any of the various patterns. Examples of such constructions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,433,384 and 6,622,945.
Unfortunately, these conventional multifunction controllers suffer from various drawbacks. For example, turning a ring or pushing a button adjacent to the showerhead can be difficult to perform by persons having soapy hands. Furthermore, persons tend to look at the showerhead while turning a selector dial or when pushing a button which causes an undesirable spray into a person's face, particularly when a spray pattern changes from a narrow stream to a wide spray.
Handheld showerheads suffer from similar complications. A handheld showerhead typically includes a hollow handle connected to a water supply by a flexible rubber hose. In addition to having the above-described drawbacks of it being difficult to rotate a selector dial or push a button with soapy hands, a person holding the showerhead must utilize both hands, one for holding the handle and the other to control the selector dial or button to change spray patterns.
Thus, there is a significant need for an improved handheld showerhead that is more easily controlled by a user. However, even if improved controls were provided, previous showerheads suffer from still additional problems.
For example, the human body presents a vertically elongate structure, but a conventional showerhead typically produces a circular spray pattern. Thus, a person receiving water from a showerhead typically will have their face and upper torso sprayed or their lower torso and feet sprayed, but not both.
Attempts have been made to develop a showerhead producing an oval spray pattern. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,216 describes a showerhead having peripheral spray jets positioned in a circular pattern. However, the various jets are angled to produce an oval spray pattern. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,014 indicates that nozzles can be developed to produce an oval spray pattern. Unfortunately, neither of these prior art showerheads permit the rotation of the spray pattern which may be desirable, for example, when a person desires a horizontal spray pattern which may be needed if a person is in a more prone position or desires a more horizontally spread spray.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a showerhead producing an oval spray pattern wherein the oval spray pattern could be rotated from horizontally aligned to vertically aligned.
It would further be advantageous to provide a handheld showerhead producing a variety of selectable spray patterns including at least one oval spray pattern which could be independently rotated.